10 Classic Swimming Pool Games

Summer is all about hanging out in the pool with your friends and playing games. See pictures of classic toys and games.iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Summertime is pool time. When the temperatures soar, kids and adults flock to pools to cool off in and play some classic pool games.

Finding a pool to play these games is not that hard, at least in the U.S. There are more than 10.4 million residential pools and 309,000 public swimming pools in America [source: CDC]. The first public swimming pools were built in the late 19th century, largely in crowded immigrant neighborhoods in cities like Boston and New York. Oddly enough, the very first municipal swimming pool, the Cabot Street Bath in Boston, wasn't built for recreation, but to provide bathing facilities for neighborhood families that lacked other means of getting clean [source: Martin].

Once you've found your pool, it's time to plan your games. We've assembled a list of 10 absolute favorites for making the best of a long hot summer day in the water. Let's start with most beloved game ever, named after a 13th-century explorer.